By way of contrast, proposals for locking a plug-in kind of electrical receptacle against unauthorized access by an electrical connector plug are well known. Reference may by way of example be had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,500, for Telephone Jack Lock-Out Plug, by Donald M. May, issued Aug. 29, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,840, for Modular Communications Jack Lock, by Edward Klein, issued Oct. 3, 1989, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,380, for Methods And Apparatus For Providing A Secure Telecommunications Port, by Vincent Hileman et al, issued Apr. 19, 1994.
Reference may also be had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,462, for Electrical Connector For Termination Cords With Improved Locking Means, by Maurice Wolfthai, issued Jul. 8, 1980.
Of course, modular plugs and jacks or receptacles have entered practically every home and office, since telephone companies and electrical and electronic data processing, recording and other equipment manufacturers started equipping their apparatus with modular plugs, some of which are mentioned, described or shown in the above mentioned patents and in other literature as well.
As is well known, and as is readily verifiable from any modern phone, modular telephone-type plugs have an integral resilient latch that catches a pair of internal projections in the modular jack or receptacle, thereby removably retaining that plug in its receptacle for establishment and maintenance of electrical and electronic connections.
Traditionally, such latches are provided with tabs that project out of the receptacle when the plug has been inserted therein, and that are readily engageable by fingernails for easy removal of modular plugs from their modular receptacles by manual depression and disengagement of the resilient latch from the modular receptacle.
However, the price being paid for such connect-disconnect ease and convenience has included tampering with telephones and other electronic equipment by more or less playful kids and other undesired interference, theft of telephone handsets and of entire telephone apparatus from hotel rooms and other locations.
Removal of the projecting tab from the resilient latch by the manufacturer or initial user would discourage the most obvious kind of intrusion, but could not effectively hinder any person that can handle a pin, penknife, nailfile, miniature screwdriver or similar implement from reaching and depressing the integral resilient latch on the modular plug through part of the regular opening of the receptacle, thereby readily removing the plug from its receptacle despite an apparent safety.
This exposes modular plug interconnections and the apparatus connected thereto and the systems served thereby to dangers other than just theft of equipment.
For instance, some personnel charged with answering incoming phone calls occasionally attempt to lighten their load by simply pulling the modular plug from their telephone apparatus. That can be done more surreptitiously than removing the headset from the telephone apparatus and putting it next to the phone, and is harder to detect by a supervisor.
Abuse also occurs in certain tasks that involve a monitoring or recording of phone conversations or other transmissions, such as in emergency centers, insurance companies, consumer service facilities or in many other areas or circumstances.
For instance, some personnel have disconnected a recording or monitoring device temporarily by removing its modular plug so that personal phone calls, rude encounters with a customer or other caller, unauthorized breaks, and other incidents will not be recorded or detected by the monitor or supervisor.
In busy work situations, such abuses are difficult and often impossible to detect and to correct, if personnel can simply remove a modular plug either with the aid of a fingernail or a pin, miniature screwdriver, nailfile, or other implement, and if the removed modular plug thereafter can be reinserted undetectable, as if nothing had happened.